Return of the Type-R

Honda UK has answered British hot hatch fans' prayers with the confirmation that there willbe a Type-R version of the new Civic.

A concept version of the high-performance Civic - expected to use a high-revving 2.0-litre Vtec engine to power its front wheels - will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, with the 200bhp production version arriving on British roads early in 2007.

Nearly 18,000 examples of the recently-departed first-generation Type-R were sold in the UK alone, and Honda will be hoping for similar success for its Swindon-built replacement.